Five months to the April 2011 general polls, a thick cloud of uncertainty is still covering the exercise. And this is in spite of assurances by President Goodluck Jonathan and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, that the nation would witness free and fair elections next year.

AFTER reading a memo to the Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) signed by the secretary, one Joseph Ajaero, asking members to pray against the success of the power sector reform, it became instantly clear that the enemies of progress are hard at work!

The Ondo State government has introduced a mortgage system that will enhance the capacity of its indigenes to own their own homes.
State Commissioner for Land & Housing, Alhaji Sikiru Basaru, stated this int Akure, the State capital, during a facility tour of some of the housing schemes being undertaken by the state government. He encouraged indigenes of the state to take advantage of the mortgage system to subscribe to the houses.

ON Monday, November 8, 2010, Vanguard carried a front page story and interview with a fellow who claimed to be the most wanted criminal, Obioma Nwankwo, alias Osisi ka nkwu, believed to be behind the scourge of kidnappings, violent robberies and killings in Aba and environs.

For Insurance companies in Ghana to actively and effectively participate in oil and gas business in that country, they must endeavour to shore up their capacity and capital adequately in order to write the risk without inhibitions.

As part of strategies to expand market share and reach more customers, companies under the Dangote Group have decided to offer discount in all their goods as they storm the two international trade fairs kicking off this week in both Lagos and Kano.

Golf anywhere in the world has the reputation of being an elitist game. No wonder Grand Oak Ltd and its gin brand _ Lords Dry Gin, in a bid to create an experience around the brand, facilitated two Nigerian Golfers as part of the recently concluded Ryder Cup which held in the 2010 course at the Celtic Manor Resort, South Wales England, United Kingdom.

The mortgage sector is said to account for less than five percent of total funds for housing development in Nigeria.Mr. Sonnie Ayere, a Principal Partner at Dunn Lorren Merrifield and Adekunle Omotola & Co, said this at the recently concluded Kuramo Conference organised by the Lagos State Government, in Lagos, where issues of housing development and options for sustainable mortgage financing in the country were addressed.

A Primary Mortgage Institution (PMI) has sealed a N1.7 billion deal with the Cross River State government for the construction of 610 housing units at the Akpabuyo Civil and Public Housing Estate.

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is exploring the possibility of engaging private investors, both local and international, in the rehabilitation of some of its dilapidated housing estates across the country.

Activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week, closed on a bearish note, as equities value represented by the market capitalisation dipped by N62.91 billion.

THE National Assembly’s passage of the law awarding more perks for Nigeria’s former leaders cannot stand. It proposes glaring abuses.

Shippers have come out against US proposals for 100% of air cargo to be screened before loading onto freighters.Andrew Traill, Managing Partner of online forum Shippers’ Voice, and Policy Director at the European Shippers’ Council, said the proposal would harm international trade and would be ineffective.

IT is utterly amazing that a man who had been in a political lacuna for a sustained period of time was thrown a political lifeline and climbs unexpectedly back to a great height through a particularly strong ladder literally, only to dramatically jettison the same resilient ladder he used in getting back to the top as not being fit for that purpose, within just a few months of exploiting the same ladder.

Unless more money is injected into the nation’s aviation sector, Nigeria’s quest of becoming one of the top 20 economies of the world would remain a dream, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, has said.